Friday, August 07, 2009

This is a storyboard reel (animatic) from an epic Ren and Stimpy story called "Life Sucks". Many of the folks who worked on it figured it was the best R and S story we had ever written. Unfortunately it was never produced.

Life Sucks explores the difference between Ren and Stimpy's outlook on life. They each look at the world and see the same evidence yet judge it in opposite ways. Stimpy is an optimist and Ren is a pessimist. In Life Sucks, Ren realizes it's his duty to cure Stimpy of his naivety and he takes him on a journey through biology, religion, history and evolution in an attempt to make him wake up and smell the coffee.

This is just one sequence from the cartoon. Ren tells Stimpy a story from the history of his religion, a story of people's devotion to the divine Cat-Jesus. Richard Pursel and I concocted this warm little Ren and Stimpy scene.

This is the story of the Children's Crusade, which many history books say actually happened.

I asked the great Nick Cross to draw the sequence and he did an amazing thing. He drew Ren and Stimpy in one style and the Children's Crusade in the style of Mary Blair's Golden Books.

Working with Nick is great. I get to scribble out some ideas for the compositions I want and he takes them and turns them into beautiful finished illustrations in his own style.

I can't tell you how fun it is to work with rare stars like Nick or Katie or Helder and a small handful of stylists, who give me back better than what I give them and then let me add my name to the work. How unusual it is today to find artists whose drawings have a point of view! I imagine the old days when Clampett and Avery were surrounded by nothing but top talents, each with their own styles, already trained and all they had to do was direct them. No bland scenes, no on-model crap. Heaven!

The multi-talented Eric Bauza edited and did the sound fx and music for the animatic.

Take a look at this and tell me if you'd like to see the whole of Life Sucks produced as a straight to DVD release.

Later this week I'll put up another clip from Life Sucks. Keep your eyes peeled!

Oooh!!Thanks for this educational Christmas offering John, that's very generous of you.I didn't know of this Crusade until now, how could I have ignored such an event.Ren bashing Stimpy to teach him the lesson in life is just the right commentary.Great stuff, up there with the best of human production, finish it pleeeease.

Brilliant! The Little Golden Books style is fantastic. I would love to see this on DVD, or how about as a Christmas Special to run for all eternity right after every screening of "It's A Wonderful Life".

JohnK:-"Later this week I'll put up another clip from Life Sucks. Keep your eyes peeled!"

STOP!!! What do you think you're doing?! No more clips-you're ruining it! These are the kind of thing I like to see AFTER watching the final product. Mainly because it gives away all those surprise gags and plot twists that are at their funniest the first time you see\hear them in all their animated glory. Would you watch a 'making of...' of a film you hadn't seen yet? Would you, in a massage parlour, sneak a peek at some guy getting his 'happy ending'? Would you?? (if any of you do, let me know what it's all about-I'm an innocent *blush*) I think a brief synopsis of the story (like you have here) and more teaser frame grabs and other related sketches is enough to whet the appetite. I see most are posting they will buy it and probably more will pipe in with their imaginary orders (except queefy who is saving up for a second-hand razor to shave that one pube growing out of his ball holder). Refrain from spoilage, unless the clips are in animated form.

Direct from artist to consumer would be even better. I don't understand by what justice a corporation can claim to own characters it doesn't even want to put on the air or really promote.

Maybe you can do what Prince did, and use Ren and Stimpy without their names! You could announce they are now unpronounceable symbols, which the press will refer to as "the Characters formerly known as..."

Very nice John.Stimpy as the positive thinker and Ren as the negative stressed out Peter Lorre.

I've noticed the use of dark humor in it. Now the storylines before must have been different when you pitch it to Nickelodeon. Because if it was the same, I beat Nickelodeon would be so ticked that they'll be all over your back.

But I guess since this is Adult Party, it's to the maximum to the target audience that your most comfortable with, right?

I remember when APC first aired, lots of fans were probably shocked at first because they were so used to the classic Ren & Stimpy on Nick and the Internets George Liquor program.

_Eric ;)

P.S. Bye the way John, I noticed that you don't really answer to many questions as much as you did when your blog first came up. I don't mean to ask stupid questions or anything, I'm just curious as an artist and a fan.

Just saw this link on Boing Boing. I love these old Cartoon commercials you have has well. Quick question, does anyone have a clip of Snuffles the Hound Dog from Quickdraw McGraw doing his stuff. I can't seem to find it anywhere on the web.

Just saw this link on Boing Boing. I love these old Cartoon commercials you have has well. Quick question, does anyone have a clip of Snuffles the Hound Dog from Quickdraw McGraw doing his stuff. I can't seem to find it anywhere on the web.

sure finish it, you've got a harem of fatal female artists over there. you guys can do it. id love to see the final product, and please update us with the animatics and sketches. i like to see the progress from sketch to final product. please dont listen to that other guy i don't think he has any experience making toons.

Oh my god that was horrible. But it was funny ! Please put it on DVD. By the way, what is with Stimpy wearing that hat ? Was it suppose to represent his child like innocence ? Oh and Eric is wondaful, he's gotta pair of lungs on him.

Wow! What made you decide to cite the Children's Crusade? It was even worse than you depicted in the cartoon. It was a scam to sell kids as slaves to pirates, Arabs and Berbers. Fooled the Pope, too , who sanctioned the whole magilla. By the way, one party of kids did have a happy ending. One group of children who actually made it to Venice, looking for their ship were talked out of their mission by some very kind, wise and persuasive Venetians who fed, clothed them, gave them enough money to go back to their homes in France, Germany (or I should say the Holy Roman Empire) and England. This does seem very dark and amazing, right up there with Ren Seeks Help, the golden book scene is astounding, what a stroke of genius.

Brilliant, John! I still can't believe this was never produced, especially considering the shit that DOES get produced for TV. Makes me wanna go out and beat up some executives.

On that note, I just read a 2000 interview with Leonard Stern, a great comedy writer from the Golden Age of Television who worked on The Honeymooners, Sgt. Bilko, and Get Smart - among many, many other classics. Stern had some highly revealing things to say about modern TV executives. Here are some excerpts:

Q: Was it a conscious decision to have Max and 99 marry, or did it just naturally progress that way?

A: I think you’re always affected by marketing research, which I think does great disservice to creativity and is questionable at best...

Q: Did you have any problems with censorship or the network?

A: There was no involvement at that time, [1965] it was relatively non-existent. They watched out for...licentious dialogue or bad taste jokes, but they didn’t get involved in story, except in a constructive way. It was a very easy way to work... The networks were not involved in the production. They would distribute it... There wasn’t that reliance on numbers, there was a visceral response that was meaningful. The only difference I see between voodoo and marketing research is that voodoo sometimes works! I’ve always felt that our decline, in terms of consistent, quality, television is the result of marketing research.

Q:There seems to be a huge change in the role of the networks in the past thirty years.

A: Yes. You see, there’s no one around now who remembers what it was like in the past. In fact, Tom Murphy... when he took over ABC, we had dinner together. I was explaining to him how it once had been. He was incredulous. I said, ABC had the most people involved, because everyone who was an executive got involved in the presentation and they voted as a group. CBS and NBC used to have four people in development, two on each coast, all empowered to say yes or no. They would consult, but you got an answer within forty-eight hours. Mr. Murphy then said, "I imagine you’re going to tell me how many people we have now?" I said yes... you now have 29 and they all have assistants and I think that’s the distinct difference. At one time there were eight of you and you made a decision in a very short time. Now there are probably [close] to sixty of you and it’s labyrinthine. The person who makes the decision is seldom involved in the development.

Q: I remember hearing how when Mel Brooks showed Blazing Saddles, the studio told him it was great, but marketing wanted them to take all of the racial references and jokes out of it.

A: Yes. They keep establishing what was, not what will be. They can’t. Their very system, the nature of it is such that you can’t explain a new idea to an audience. You’re asking them to be equally as creative and that doesn’t work in our business...

The whole interview can be found on the Get Smart website: Wouldyoubelieve.com

Just a technical note... The "Children's Crusade", as we know it, never really happened. It's mostly the medieval equivalent of an urban rumor. The story we retell today is really a combination of different incidents, probably not involving children at all, and later embellished to the nth degree by people who were even alive at the time they happened. But it's a great story none-the-less, facts be damned!

The George Liquor file requires Quicktime 7 (which I discovered after buying it), which Apple has refused to release for Jaguar (Mac OS 10.2), my OS of choice. Please get the QT7 requirement info put into the download page.

And that he walked on water, turned water in wine, and that Noah made an ark for two of EVERY animal (including 360 million species of ants apparently), and that all life came from two people called Adam and Eve, so I wouldn't take it to the bank.

I would be VERY happy if this came out as a direct-to-DVD. I'm curious what an "epic" Ren and Stimpy movie would be like. It seems pretty dark -- It would be great to have some more, how you say...innocence? Just to lighten the mood a BIT. I'll bet stuff like that is already planned. I'm still finding it hard to get used to the adult Ren and Stimpy (though the adult episodes are BRILLIANT.)

I would LOVE to see this Ren & Stimpy story be produced! And I bet you that Eddie Fitzgerald would love to see it too! It would make a great DVD release. You should also produce the R & S story "Wilderness Adventure" with George Liquor. That and "Life Sucks" would make a great DVD! You could call the DVD "Ren & Stimpy The Lost Episodes Volume 2!"

PLEASE JOHN, MAKE THESE CARTOONS HAPPEN MAN! I REALLY WOULD LOVE TO SEE MORE REN & STIMPY STRAIGHT TO DVD!

I watched the clip of nick cross' short film, and i'm struck by the style parallels I notice between the work i've seen you have done, and Nick Cross and Aaron Springer. The colors and composition are so carefully detailed and the character animation is always a unique pose, but anti-pretty (which I have a hard time understanding because it's not ugly, it's appealing, but it's not straight up sexy and I have a hard time watching and a hard time looking away)

I guess i'm asking if i'm uneducated to like a middle ground between the different modern animation thinking, meaning, the style I associate with you, the cartoon network kids stuff style like spongebob which crosses over (springer), and fairly odd parents type which is witty but so blindingly contrasty with color and basic shapes. (among others that are odd bridges that seem to be detailed but cheap animation like Metalocalypse.)

What other schools of thought are there in modern animation besides get it out cheap like Simpsons/family guy/aquateen hungerforce(and all adult swim), versus 60's throwback stuff like venture bros and nickeledeon? Who are the people that drive each of these styles?

How do you get a style formula to be intriguingly new, but widely commercial?

Have you thought of offering this to the people at [Adult Swim]? Something this twisted and brilliant would be perfect for a sunday night special. And from the broke student perspective, I'd rather watch it on tv for free along with a half million other viewers than shill out for a dvd.

I remember seeing this animatic back at the Aero earlier this year, and I remember thinking to myself, "Wow, this has so much potential! This is the closest I've seen to an actual Ren & Stimpy character study!" I never thought I'd be able to see this animatic again so soon.

As for whether I'd buy this cartoon, that's a resounding yes my friend. I'd stare and listen and gaze in awe of this stuff until my very sense, my very being, became one with it. I'd watch this tripe until I lost all sense of time and space, to the point where I woudn't be able to feel all the blood and puss draining from the pores of my body as a result of my own mad obsession. I'd sit in front of the boob tube suckling on this garbage until my testicles gained self-awareness, and were full of shame. I'd do myself in so bad from repeatedly watching this cartoon that I'd have to lease out my brain to a small immigrant family for development in order to pay off the damages I'd have made upon it. But hey, I have nothing better to do, 'cause, after all, life sucks.

But hey, why stop there? There are tons more "Ren & Stimpy" episodes just waiting to be made, and I wanna see 'em all. If "Life Sucks" does get finished, I'd love to see a DVD full of as much "Ren & Stimpy" action as one disc can possibly handle. Or 2. Or 3.

Also, I have to say I've always thought if it'd be possible to make a full-length "Ren & Stimpy" movie, and what kind of story it would be. Then I saw this post. I think that if it can be extended long enough, with the right ideas and great imagination, "Life Sucks" would make the ideal 90-120 minute-long "Ren & Stimpy" movie.

Today I was watching the "Lost Episodes" DVD for the upteenth time and was reminded of that stack of fan-requested episodes. John, have you ever gotten a request for a musical "Ren & Stimpy" episode? You know, where the cartoon is constantly breaking up into musical numbers? Or how about an episode with little to know dialogue, where the animation is just completely music-driven? If those sound interesting to you, you should definitely put them in the stack.

By the way, it's been a while since I stopped visiting this blog, and i just came back recently. I read on Wikipidea that there's a direct-to-DVD George Liquir movie in the works, but then again, Wiki isn't always the best information source. Can anyone confirm or deny this, and if it's true, tell me where I can find the offcial info?

And to the guy who requested for not posting spoilers, it's no big deal. If any clips do come up on this blog, they don't automatically start playing when you come to the site. You just have to make sure not to click the Play button.

This seems great. I love the part with the book, cause it reminds me of a classic cartoon convention that was used in Three Caballeros or the Mickey Mouse's cartoon The Nifty Nineties.

I love all that part. I'm not used to the second part, though. The excesive violence in Ren's character makes him more difficult to symphatize with, in my opinion. He used to be violent with Stimpy in the old days but now he does it with more cruelty. I know this is probably all intentional but it still doesn't work for me.

Now the concept is really a good one and the fact that they deal with religion or history, it really seems bigger than any other Ren and STimpy cartoon. Some of Ren's poses seem more similar to his classic self, especially when he's reading the story, he has the more rounded, innocent look (even if it's "fake" innocence, cause he's faking to Stimpy).

Jorge, it looks more like those Saracan warriors were based on the arabs in cartoons like Ali Baba Bound (by Bob Clampett c. 1940), Porky in Egypt (by Bob Clampett c. 1938), or Little Beau Porky (by Frank Tashlin c. 1936). Or maybe John had other sources as well.

I enjoyed that little animatic. It definitely showed how Ren and Stimpy's personalities were contrasts of eachother. I think it might be funny if the story has a happy ending that Stimpy loves but Ren falls to pieces over. But, whatever, I'll let you write the story.

I'm a medievalist and always looking for interesting ways to lead my students into this distant time period, so this is just perfect. The Crusades -- particularly the Children's Crusade -- are so important right now to explain the history behind current events.

If people here knew just the slightest bit of history about the Middle East, they wouldn't ask, "Why do they hate us?" But that's a Yale education for you.

Rodrigo, I mentioned Three Caballeros because there is a moment in which Panchito talks about the celebration of Christmas and the Piñata and we see book style drawings. I didn't know about Mary Blair before, so I don't know if those drawings were done by her.

I rewatched the clip and I have to mention that I love the voice work in this, the voices are really funny.

Incidentally I'm making my own homage to Joe Barbera in my blog too. I was doing a drawing, but I think I'm gonna copy david germain's idea and put on a Tom and Jerry cartoon from youtube too, cause I think people just have to watch those cartoons again and realize how great they were. I'll pick a different short. I'll put all this in a couple of days. I'll be glad if someone goes visiting!

Aw man! Theeeeeseee are the kind of episodes I loved best with Ren and Stimpy. Full rounded, epic stuff that goes a little bit deeper. This and Ren Seeks Help are my favorites. More of that. Pleaase. These are your masterpieces methinks. Oh and I'd buy this. I wish the other DVD's had more stuff like this. The rest has a lot of potential and I love it as well, but thissss is GOLD. This is the stuff you can watch over and over again and never tire of.

I found the start to be a little abrupt. I'd like to know more about Cat Jesus. A stronger set up might have been Stimpy worshiping Cat Jesus blindly, without knowing the back story of the children's crusade. I find what is the best way to hoist religion on it's own petard, is to point out how little worshippers really know about history and the bible. They stick to a narrow comfort zone that minimizes any doubt or questions and maximizes hypocrisy. Stripping away Stimpy's beliefs layer by layer, would resonate better as character based direct conflict story than just reading a shocking book and making Stimpy a reactor and Ren being cruel just to be cruel. If Ren's motivation is in the guise to de- program Stimpys messed up beliefs, it's softens Ren a little, but allows for more real mental torture. " I must help Stimpy by tearing out all his more heartfelt beliefs, rending impotent the religious cancer that consumes him!"

Are the posts in summer reruns, or are these posts relating to things that are coming to a head? It's obvious this was posted before, despite the date, because I think it would make the headlines if we lost Joe Barbera twice.

That has the potential to be one of the best ever. It should definitely be made. I'd volunteer to work on it if you were able to farm out parts. Of course, the likelihood of you needing to resort to someone you never heard of with no no formal training clear across the country seems, shall we say, slim? Oh well, it sucks not being where I should have been all this time.

Excellent voice work, though. Ren's deliveries are getting more and more Clampett spirit in them. How many more hilarious inflections do you think you could put on just saying the word "SteeumpeE"?

Maybe if you don't find producers.. the audience could produce it! Looks like there's a lot of us here.

Let's say people can donate to the production however much money they want to, and those who donate above a certain amount are also paying for their copy of the cartoon! Their production money also goes towards their purchase. It just might work!

Before you put this soon to be classic on DVD, I would very much implore you to limit release this theaters long enough for Oscar consideration. Why the heck should the only "mainstream" John K stuff be seen only as the credits for other people's movies?

When I first met you John, you showed us this cartoon and I laughed out of my seat. You guys gotta animate this some how. Would Viacom let you do it? With 128 comments, they would be dumb not to. Fun post as usual..

John K., we must have this in a finished version! Also, The Jetsons in "Voyage To The Bottom Of The Pole." There's absolutely no chance of the latter, I suppose.

It's going to have to be direct-to-DVD, there's no alternative because no cable TV outfit would ever accept a cartoon that's basically a satire on religious belief. Stimpy, here, has the childlike (or childish) total credulity of the true believer. The Christian fundamentalist "family-values" crowd would throw fits if it was ever broadcast!

Also, some of it's kind of obscure, although brilliant. Mary Blair is pretty much (deservedly) forgotten, and hardly anyone is going to recognize her style unless they've been on the "Small World" ride at Disneyland.

Here's some historical background on the Children's Crusade:

http://www.historyguide.org/ancient/children.html

Did it happen, or not? Who can say, but the story is so detailed that it appears that at least parts of it are plausible, especially what happened to the survivors who made it to their destination.

please give us a DVD with further episodes of Ren & Stimpy by JohnK. We promise it will fill your bank accounts beyond limits and make you the most powerful studio in the business. Your E-Mail accounts will be permanently down due to all the love mails you will recieve from us fans for giving John this opportunity. Random people will smile at you in the streets, offer you a free seat in a crowded bus, order you a free beer, voluntarily offer their organs for transplantation in case of an emergency... you get the point.

Oh, and John, when you finally get to produce these episodes, please think ahead and create them in HD, so we can beg for a Blu Ray release in the future.

I have every DVD you ever did, except the last two seasons of the Ren and Stimpy show. I didnt know you had commentary on those DVDs, do you get paid for the sales of the last few seasons? If so, I will go out and buy those too.

And as for new episodes, OH PLEASE, i want more. I have money burning a whole in my pocket, just for YOU!!!!

I feel like a lot of the criticism of APC was that the early episodes were seen as vulgar, or cheap. Clearly you were going for the bigger picture - i.e. showing all sides of you characters. Sadly TV is not fond of waiting around for the bigger picture. Perhaps a DVD feature would be more kind.

And remember - if the finished product isn't feature length (i.e. marketable as a DVD), iTunes would be a good route for a self financed release. They have been very good for 'featuring' Ren & stimpy releases so far.

this is great, i love the idea that u incorporated ur own "interpretations" of life haha!! i always preferred ren, prob becaz im a pessimist too hah. i wud lov to c this on dvd!!! i know a lot of people wud too.

Too late to break it to Mike (you were responding to "Mike F" from above?). When he posted that comment it was probably true, but this post has been "recycled" with a new date and the old comments, so he was probably accurate at time.

That also means there probably hasn't been much change in status since all these people first started posting their "hell yes, I'll buy it" responses. If everyone who did set aside the money to buy it in a bank account, there may be enough interest accrued by now to finance the production.